Victorian inspiration to steampunk

GREAT FUN: The Capital! Steampunk group (pictured) will be presenting readings of Lewis Carroll's nonsense epic The Hunting of the Snark at Cobblestones on February 14.

Cobblestones is getting steamed up for the Greytown Arts Festival.

The museum is playing host to Capital! Steampunk, a Wellington-based group of enthusiasts, who will present readings of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark on February 14.

The public are invited to join the group for a day of dress up, games and croquet.

Entry is free for anyone in Victorian, Edwardian, colonial or steampunk costume.

Cobblestones trustee John Gilberthorpe said the museum was the ideal venue.

"We've got the perfect backdrop for something like this. And for us it's also about getting the people and activities here."

"There are [steampunk] people around in the Wairarapa as well, and we are saying come along and be a part of it."

Founding member of Capital! Steampunk, Jane Craven, said the group, which creates costumes and personas inspired by Victorian fashion, technology and fiction, was looking forward to sharing the fun with Wairarapa.

"Cobblestones is just an ideal site ... we're absolutely excited and really pleased that we have been enabled to show what we can do and how much fun we have.

"The idea of Cobblestones is brilliant - it's such a wonderful venue."

Several people in Wairarapa had expressed an interest in taking part in Wellington steampunk events and she hoped they would be coming along, Mrs Craven said.

People were welcome to get creative with their costumes.

"It's not all about corsets and you don't have to have a top hat."

Capital! Steampunk was established to promote the growth of the steampunk movement in Wellington. The group is comprised of people of all ages, the eldest in their 80s.